Vittles

Vittles (food & drink) Family enjoying a warm welcome after

By Karen Bate

karen@westdorsetmag.co.uk It’s been just a few months since lifelong Londoners Sue and Dave Jennings took the plunge and moved to Sherborne, becoming landlords of The White Hart. Their daughter Ashley and son-in-law Tom have lived in this special town for some time, in fact just around the corner from this 17th century inn, and when Sue and Dave came to visit, they fell in love with the town a little more each time. “I love Sherborne,” said Sue. “We ran a pub in Bermondsey for 15 years and one weekend when we were visiting our daughter, we saw that The White Hart was available and Dave said, ‘let’s go for it’ and the rest is history, although neither of us expected the move to happen so fast. We moved in May. “All of our customers and neighbours have been amazing. We have been given the warmest welcome and it’s been wonderful. The wonderful thing about Sherborne is its community spirit and we feel we have been welcomed into this community. In London, no one talks to each other. You have neighbours but you may not know who they are as people move in and out frequently. In Sherborne everyone says hello and it is such a friendly town. “I have lived in London all my life, but in Sherborne everyone looks out for you. I love it.” Since May, this family business – Tom and Ashley run it too – is fast becoming a pub that visitors and locals cherish. They are lured in by exceptional Sunday lunches, a delicious menu and a stunning collection of award-winning cask conditioned ales. TripAdvisor has announced that The White Hart has won a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for 2022 for its attention to detail, friendly staff, charming atmosphere, delicious food and range of ales and cider. Now Sue is eagerly awaiting her certificate to take pride of place in the window. Chef Trevor creates traditional pub meals with a touch of his own inspiration and devises an ever-changing specials board crafted with care, time and devotion. “Trevor is amazing,” said Sue. “The food we serve is traditional and good value, and Trevor also creates a range of tasty vegetarian and gluten free options. And I think we are the only pub in Sherborne to serve Budweiser on tap!” The White Hart has a live band each Saturday and a jamming

THE WHITE HART, SHERBORNE

Cheap St, Sherborne DT9 3PX 01935 817668 whitehartsherborneltd@gmail.com

Christmas menu served November 21 – December 23 Two courses: £28.50 Three courses: £32.50 Quote Hart Xmas when booking, for a free glass of prosecco per table

Follow us!

Sue, Dave, The Family and Betsy welcome you to our traditional Dorset pub. Super dog friendly. Showing live BT Sports! Live music and Jammin’ Wednesdays Great food & family fun

Dorset’s finest food & drink

Dorset farmer Barbara Cossins is making it her life’s work to encourage people to buy local and support British farmers. Now she is heralding the start of this year’s Love Local Trust Local Awards. The Love Local Trust Local label began in 2018 after the Cossins family opened their farm for Open Farm Sunday. Visitors said they they wanted to support local food producers because they did not know who or what food to trust. Barbara said: “That was when we set about doing something about it. A label created for farmers by farmers. “With global food challenges it’s even more important to help tell the stories and promote these local,

Vittles (food & drink) move to Sherborne

session on the first Wednesday of the month. Sue and Dave hope to host other events next year, including a quiz night. “We are still finding our feet at the moment and are finding out what our customers would like, but we hope to organise other events next year.” Of course, a pub wouldn’t be a pub without a dog, and 18month-old Betsy the sprocker, is an adored, firm fixture of this dog-friendly pub. “Everyone loves Betsy, she is such a good girl.” Sue added: “I do miss London because my granddaughter is still there, but I am hoping that my son and daughter-in-law move here very soon!” The White Hart is at the northern end of Cheap Street and is a pretty, Grade II Listed building, bursting with character with its exposed beams, flagstone floors, stonework and brickwork. n To book call 01935 817668.

now being judged in contest

independent businesses that put love and soul into everything they produce. We don’t want our amazing Dorset producers to be the best kept secret around. Let’s tell the world!” The 2022 entries are safely gathered in and the judging is beginning of some of the finest Dorset food producers. Barbara said: “Just a few days ago, we gathered together all our fabulous sponsors to do a blind tasting and sample the food from the award entrants. From delicious chocolates, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, crunchy macaroons, delicious cheeses, real milk, incredible honey, homemade gin, beer and wine; it was all in the mix. “So now for the hard part as the judges will all give up their valuable time and visit all our awards classes throughout October and November, they will also judge the other classes including Conservation & Sustainability, Business Growth & Development, Farm Shop and Hospitality.”

The West Dorset Magazine, October 21, 2022 43 SHERBORNE CASTLE WINES

Award Winning Wines from our Vineyard

Sherborne Castle, New Road, Sherborne, DT9 5NR 01935 813182 sherbornecastle.com/wine

Best pub for families: national finalist 2022

n Live comedy and theatre nights book at ticketsource.co.uk/gaggle n Bonfire Night November 5th (£5 adults on gate, kids free) n Delicious home-cooked food n Play bus n Crazy golf n Skittle alley n Glamping

THE GAGGLE OF GEESE

BUCKLAND NEWTON, DT2 7BS 01300 345249 | gaggleofgeese.co.uk

Vittles (food & drink)

Karen Broad lives in Burton Bradstock, with her husband and two mad dogs. She ran The Mousetrap in Dorchester, has lived in France and loves discovering new food producers.

I am a self-confessed book devotee. Books of every genre adorn shelves and cupboards in our home, each one a prized possession. I was a slow reading starter and definitely slow to appreciate books, being quite content to run wild instead. The solitude of a book was wasted on me. In my teens I purchased an unabridged version of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, which I found utterly beautiful, but caused huge issues when my mother found it. She banned it from the house. I realised then the power of books and the tragedy of censorship. I began to find libraries fascinating – the musty smell, the wellflicked pages, the focus on people’s faces, a wistful gaze leading to faraway shores. My book journey began when I was young and I developed scarlet fever which, ironically, I caught from a library book. All my books had to be taken away and decontaminated – I was bereft without them. Reading is

SIMPLE AND TASTY: Scotch eggs are really easy to do Egged on to make an autumnal treat

personal, and my mother’s attempt to make me read ‘the classics’ backfired, resulting in a complete rebellion and for years books were exiled. Discovering the right book for you is part of an exciting journey. Reading opens a new world of experiences, encourages dreams, decreases isolation, it is hard to feel lonely in a world of words. At the weekend my family descended, and for days before I immersed myself in my favourite books. My cookery heaven!

Scotch Eggs These are simple and can be made in advance. Ingredients Sausage meat Black pudding Apples Quails’ eggs Method Boil the eggs. Mash together the sausage meat, grated apple, black pudding. Break off small pieces and fold around the egg. Roll them in a beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Deep fry and then bake for a further 15 minutes in the oven. To present – Grate 2 potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and mould around a muffin tin. Bake in a hot oven and when golden brown sprinkle with salt. I served this with pickled blackberries Place blackberries in a saucepan with balsamic vinegar and sugar and warm gently until sugar is dissolved. Take out berries, increase heat and allow the vinegar to reduce and thicken. Avoid picking blackberries on the side of a busy road. I saw a holidaymaker collecting berries the other day from a layby frequently used as a toilet. October 1 has passed, they all have the ‘devil’s hoof’ on them and are tasteless.

Mum’s Kitchen... with Diana Holman

Dorset Apple Cake

6oz butter 6oz sugar 2 eggs 10oz self-raising flour 3 large Bramleys, peeled, cored and chopped Cream butter and sugar and add beaten eggs gradually. Mix in flour, and add a little milk if the mixture seems too stiff. Stir in apples. Put mixture into a greased and lined tin and sprinkle the top with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar mixed with a teaspoon or two of cinnamon. Bake for 50min to 1 hour at 170C,150C, fan oven.

Vittles (food & drink)

Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker, who has a stall outside The Old Ship Inn in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram. Spooky cookies made of pumpkin mash

There is a very good chance that you’ll be carving your pumpkin as it is Halloween season and time to look out for things that go bump in the night. Of particular importance at this time of year (see previous note) is that pumpkin, in addition to numerous health benefits, is good for eye health –hoorah. Much of our Jack o’ lantern innards go to waste in this country but I suggest that you roast the soft flesh and make the most of the pumpkin. Alternatively you can buy a can of pumpkin puree (in most supermarkets) and use this to make yourselves a sweet treat to have at any time. Soft, chewy and slightly spicy, these cookies are finished with a cheesecake cream laced with the warming spices. Serve with a steaming hot cup of coffee or a glass of milk at bedtime.

Pumpkin Cookies Makes: 12

For the cookies 110g soft brown sugar 80g caster sugar 60g soft butter 85g mashed cooked pumpkin or tinned pumpkin purée 1 medium egg 250g flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 100g pumpkin seeds For the filling

TIME OF THE SEASON: Make some pumpkin cookies lined with parchment and chill in the fridge for two hours, or overnight. When ready to cook, heat the oven to 180°C/ gas 4. Take each dough ball and press your thumbs into the centre to create a little cup big enough to hold about a tablespoon of filling. To make the filling, mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the double cream, egg and mixed spice and whisk until smooth. Spoon the filling into the cookie cups and bake for 20-25 mins or until lightly browned at the edges. Leave to cool on the

75g cream cheese 1 tbsp icing sugar 75g double cream 1 medium egg 1 tsp mixed spice

To make the cookies, mix the sugars and the butter together in a bowl. Stir in the pumpkin and egg. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin seeds, and mix to form a dough. Weigh out the dough in 70g pieces and roll into balls. Place on a baking tray baking tray.

n Lizzie is selling her wares in The Old Ship Inn, Upwey every Saturday until 12.30. Follow her in instagram at lizzibakingbird or go to lizziebakingbird.co.uk